This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-333958, filed Oct. 31, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a specimen conveying system including a belt-conveyor type conveying mechanism that is designed to allow a specimen-contained container to be conveyed.
2. Description of the Related Art
A specimen conveying system of this type generally includes a conveying mechanism having a belt-conveyor type conveying lane that is located within a setup area such that it can convey a specimen-contained container. The conveying mechanism is set up in a given manner according to the purpose of use. Thus, the conveying system can convey a container containing a specimen such as blood to a predetermined position. After a predetermined specimen process is completed, the conveying system can convey the container to the next processing position.
A prior art specimen conveying system is so configured that a specimen is conveyed exclusively by a conveying mechanism having a belt-conveyor type conveying lane. Thus, when a specimen processing line having a number of processing steps needs to be constructed, the conveying mechanism having a long belt-conveyor type conveying lane is set up almost all over the set-up area in a complicated manner. There are many cases where the conveying mechanism cuts off an operator""s passage. Even when any special specimen processing is not performed halfway in the conveying line but the specimen is simply moved to a remote location, the conveying mechanism having a belt-conveyor type conveying lane has to be provided.
An object of the present invention is to provide a specimen conveying system having the following advantages:
(a) An operator""s passage can be hardly cut off by the conveying mechanism having a long conveying lane.
(b) An inefficient conveying mechanism used exclusively for simply conveying a specimen can be eliminated.
In order to attain the above object, the specimen conveying system according to the present invention has the following characteristic configuration. The other characteristic configurations will be clarified in the embodiment later.
A specimen conveying system according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a plurality of conveying mechanisms arranged to convey a specimen-contained container and separated from each other in given positions, each of the conveying mechanisms including a belt-conveyor type conveying lane, a motor-vehicle guide laid between first and second conveying mechanisms of the plurality of conveying mechanisms, and a motor vehicle guided and self-propelled by the motor-vehicle guide, the motor vehicle including a first coupling section provided at a front of a main body of the motor vehicle and coupled to one end of the first conveying mechanism, a second coupling section provided at a rear of the main body of the motor vehicle and coupled to one end of the second conveying mechanism, and a belt-conveyor type conveying lane formed on a top surface of the main body of the motor vehicle and selectively connected to the belt-conveyor type conveying lanes of the first and second conveying mechanisms, thereby transferring the specimen-contained container.